Presenting the Twentieth Edition for 2006 of the WEEKLY DEVOTIONS:
'' Peace to this House and to You, my Brothers and Sisters ''
Keep on praying, this world is in great need of it. "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.â€
Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth!!!!!!!
The Lord announces peace to His people and His faithful and to those who come back to Him.
United Together in Jesus Christ for He Himself is Our Peace.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared.
They were praising God. They said, "May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may Peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!"
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our Peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making Peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached Peace to you who were far away and Peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2: 12-22
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy Two
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
"When you enter a house, first say, ' Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' Luke 10:1-9
The Lord speaks of Peace to His People
Psalm 85
Lord, you showed favor to your land.
You blessed the people of Jacob with great success again.
You forgave the evil things your people did.
You took away all of their sins.
Selah
You stopped being angry with them.
You turned your burning anger away from them.
God our Savior, make us new again.
Stop being unhappy with us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you be angry for all time to come?
Won't you give us new life again?
Then we'll be joyful because of what you have done.
Lord, show us your faithful love.
Save us.
I will listen to what God the Lord will say.
He promises peace to his faithful people.
But they must not return to their foolish ways.
I know he's ready to save those who have respect for him.
Then his glory can be seen in our land.
God's truth and faithful love join together.
His peace and holiness kiss each other.
His truth springs up from the earth.
His holiness looks down from heaven.
The Lord will certainly give what is good.
Our land will produce its crops.
God's holiness leads the way in front of him.
It prepares the way for his coming.
Lord, God of Peace, gather us together in your love. Jesus Christ is truly our Peace and He shows us the way.
On this very special occasion; that is the Week of International Disarmament and Peace, an event taking place every year from the 24th to the 30th of October. The Bishops from Quebec invite the Christian communities to pray for Peace and reflect on the violence in our present day culture that overruns our Society and to collaborate in activities that will help to build Peace for our children.
